László Moholy-Nagy

Rue Cannebière, Marseilles

1929

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László Moholy-Nagy

Rue Cannebière, Marseilles

László Moholy-Nagy

Rue Cannebière, Marseilles

1929

Physical Qualities Gelatin silver print, Sheet: 253 x 202 mm. (9 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.) Image: 240 x 176 mm. (9 7/16 x 6 15/16 in.)

Credit Line Purchase with exchange funds from the Edward Joseph Gallagher III Memorial Collection; and partial gift of George H. Dalsheimer, Baltimore

Object Number 1988.479

The versatile artist László Moholy-Nagy taught at the influential German Bauhaus school of architecture, design, and applied arts from 1923 to 1928. Through the foundations course, Moholy-Nagy encouraged students to experiment with photography as a means to engender creativity and to sharpen their eyes, as well as to document school projects and activities. Moholy-Nagy underscored the many possibilities that photography offered in his 1925 book/manifesto Painting Photography Film. He also pursued the connections between photography and film, creating this disorienting street view in 1929 during the making of his second film Marseilles vieux port (The Old Port of Marseilles).

The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift/purchase, 1988; George Dalsheimer, Baltimore; purchased from William Larson, Philadelphia, March 1980

Rena Hoisington, BMA, "Looking through the Lens: Photography 1900-1960," 16 March - 8 June 2008.

Darsie Alexander, BMA, 'Mechanical Form/Mechanical Vision,' December 12, 2001-April 7, 2002.

Jan Howard, BMA, "The Collector's Eye: Photographs from the Museum's Dalsheimer Colelction," 17 September - 19 November, 1989.

Leland D. Rice and David W. Steadman, 'Photographs of Moholy-Nagy from the Collection of William Larson,' Claremont, CA: Pomona College, 1975, ill. p. 50.

Andreas Haas, 'Moholy-Nagy Photographs and Photograms,' New York: Pantheon Books, 1980, pl. 12.

Eleanor M. Hight, 'Moholy-Nagy: Photography and Film in Weimar Germany,' Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College Museum, 1985, p. 84, ill. p. 85.

BMA Today, Spring 2008, ill. p. 4.

Nancy Patz, 'Looking Through the Lens: Photography 1900-1960,' "Newsletter of the Print, Drawing & Photograph Society of the BMA," Vol. XXVI, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 10-12, ill. p. 11.

Inscribed: center verso in black ink: "L. MOHOLY-NAGY/ Rue Cannebiere / (Marseille, France)"; lower left verso in graphite: "12"; lower right verso in graphite: ".0028"; on mount, lower center verso stamped in black: "WILLIAM G. LARSON / 506 Locust Avenue / Philadelphia, PA 19144"